Plastic sign.



S. F. THOMAS.

PLASTIC SIGN. APPLlcATmH FILED Auq.1'l.1915.

1.2045613. u Patented N0v.v14.1916.

WITN ESSES M INVENTOR ATTQR N EY UNITED sra'ras rar f :SAMUEL F. THOMAS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PLASTIC SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

YAppli-cation led August 11, 1915. Serial N o. 4.49957.l

1/ 'o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VSAMUEL F. THOMAS, citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plastic Signs, of which the following is a' specification. v

My invention relates' to sign boards and more' particularly toa signV board of the plastic 'or composition type.

Sign boardsof wood, or of wood and-[itinl are objectionable in many ways. Unfavorable weather conditions soon cause the wood to rot and paint, if applied to tin, to. crack,

blister and'peel'. Bill posters, if applied to wood, Vproperly adhere but present an uneven' surface because of the cracks and inequalities in the f surface of the wood, and ifapplied tortin, improperly and ine'ectually adhere'.

It is thereforefthe object ofthe present 1 invention to generally improve in signboard construction and to i"provide 1n al sign board f jectionable features will cease to exist. This may be accomplished by :constructing the i .sign board of a'reinforced vs'ufliciently hard plastic composition-such 'as cement.

The above andadditional objects are `ac-'i complished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described'in thefollowing specification and then more particularly pointed out' in the claims which are append- 4edhereto and forma part of this'application. v

In describing my invention in detail refl erence will be had to .the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the sev-4 eral'views, and in which: y

Figure l is an velevatlon of a sign board,

vpartly vbroken away, constructed in .accord- 3 connect the mentioned uprights l, and

with the said uprights afford a support for the plastic composition constituting the sign board-designated 4:. Said strips 2 are fastened to` the uprights 3 as indicatedaft 5.

Brace rods, 6 `connect the strips 2 at intervals throughout the length of the said strips and with said strips and the uprights l constitute an all metallic or a combined wood and metallic supporting frame. Ay reinforcing element in the nature of a wire mesh screen 7 or otherfora'minus material is embedded in the plastic material' 4, themen- `tion'ed screen being of a size approximately that of the Asign board. The longitudinal edges of the said screen- Z-overlap' the strips 2 and by,l reason of such arrangement additionally reinforce and bracefthe Sign.

A iiller consisting ofv an inexpensive,

raten-tea Nev. ia', raie;

rough surfaced Aplastic material A-isv then placed' between the uprights to inclose the strips 2, the brace rod 6 and the-screenl?,`

the mentioned filler constitutingthe body of the sign. That -ajsmooth outer surface may be provided, the said filler is', `neX-t7coated with a better grade of plasticvinaterial 4',

whichl latter materialv is so 'smoothed and shaped as to provide a` sign boardstructure ofthe desired -formation. This outer plastic l material may be painted with letters to com'- plete `'the sign, or, if desired, coatedwith ari-adhesive substance to recelve .andisuppo-rt a bill poster or the like. i

' In Vactual practice, the ,metal 'or and Vmet-al lathing or frame is'to be covered with a 'rough coat or scratch coatl of mortar consisting of two-parts sharp bar or Washed sand, one-part wood or paper pulp, onepart hydrated or slaked lime, and one-part Portland cement;' the mixture, before hardened, to be applied by hand.- After the rough or scratch coat has become set or hard a second coat shall be similarly applied. This 'secondcoat may be, said to consist of three-parts sharp sand and two-parts Portland cement, and when sufficiently set or hardened, shall be finished to a smooth even surface bv a trowel or float or other similar tool used lfor that purpose.

From the foregoing, taken `in connection #with the accompanying drawings 1t 1s evi dent that a'sign board has been provided which in its nature may be said to be practically indestructible; that weather conditions will in -no` way deteriorate or cause the sign board to become impaired and incapable Vof continued use; and that the smooth hardouter surface may be' scraped.'

lation, may constitute snicient strength and rigidity to withstandi be made within the scope of the appended claims and withoutsacriicing any of the advantages of my invention.

it is to be understood that the sign board, when arranged end to end and in alined rea tence or screen of any and all hardships likely to be borne thereby.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to se-, cure by .Letters Patent, is

I.. ln a sign, a frame comprising upright supporting posts and kstrips connecting the i posts, and a plastic body within the .trame Aand inclosing the strips.

F. in a sign.3 a frame comprising upright supportnig posts, horizontal strips connect-l n the posts, rods connecting the strips and a plastic body Within the frame and inclosing the strips and rods.

in a sign, a frame comprising upright y.supporting posts, strips for connecting the #per and lower ends of the posts, said trips having 'right angular terminals affording the connection7 rods connectlng the strips and a plastic body within the frame and inclosing the strips and rods.

@unies of this )patent may be obtained. for :five cents each,

details of construction,`

asesora i t. ln `a sign, a frame including uprights,

horizontal strips forming a `connection betweenvthe 'nprights,'means for releasably :tas

tening said strips to the uprights, rods connecting the strips and a plastic body within the iframe and inclosing the strips and rods. f

riglits and engaging the terminals, reinforcing rods connecting the strips, and a plastic body forming the sign board within the frame and inclosingthe strips and rods, the said nprights'being removablerom the plastic body by loosening the aforesaid fastenings.

6. In a sign, a frame including uprghts, horizontal strips releasably connectedy to the uprights and extending therebetween, reinforcing rods connecting thestrips,l oraminous material extending between `the strips and uprights, a plastic sign board within the trarne comprising a thickness of relatively coarse material disposed upon .each side ot' the oraminous material and inclosing the rods, and a layer of relatively finer surfacing material applied to the coarse thickness and` inclosing the same and the strips.

In testimony whereof l aHX my signature npresence vof two witnesses.

. l SAMUEL l1". THOMAS.

' Witnesses: l 1 v SrDNErW. STEINER, HARR`I`-. RICKER.

by afiressingv the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D C. l 

